Alumni Spotlight: Nate Sloan

One perk of writing for the school newspaper is being able to write about school functions, social actives, and other things that I find important within our community. I previously wrote a spotlight article on a current student, but I wanted to interview someone who graduated and is currently in the workforce. Nathan Sloan is not only my boyfriend and my friend, but he is also an alumnus of Mount Aloysius College. I hope this interview can be useful to current students or students on their way to graduation.

S: How was your overall experience at the Mount?

N: Overall great! The campus is beautiful and conveniently located close to home, which allowed me to commute. The campus staff and faculty were always a pleasure. The small classroom size was a deciding factor on why I chose Mount Aloysius.

S: Why did you decide on IT as your major?

N: I have an aptitude for assisting people with the problems technology introduces. I wanted a career out of managing systems that help connect the world.

Nathan discovered a quote that helps explain how he feels about his major: “There is always the need for human critical thinking and articulation [that] the automated machine-learning analytics systems cannot provide.”

S: When did you attend MAC?

N: I began classes in the fall of 2009 and graduated December of 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in information technology with a concentration in computer security.

S: What were you involved in on campus?

N: I was a work study in the IT department for three years before being hired on as the network’s administrator. During my time in school, I was briefly the VP of the IT club (now defunct), where we held video game pizza parties that were open to all students.

S: What’s life like now after attending school?

N: Mount Aloysius gave me a solid foundation which led me into a career where I’m now working at Precision Business Solutions, an IT security and management organization, working alongside one of my professors, Dr. Kevin Slonka.

S: Outside of your major, were there any other classes you enjoyed or recommend?

N: My favorite classes were my English classes with the late Maggie Steinbeiser. She treated all of her students with respect and managed to make everyone in class smile when she spoke.

Nathan has this piece of advice for all students: Please utilize the help desk and the resources that they provide; they are there to help students and staff with all problems that they may have. I hope students will be able to take away something from his advice. I certainly already have.